The Law States: Online Casinos are Legal

Published December 1, 2009

The Filipino gambling model differs from the American model and that's a good thing.

In a marathon session of deliberation, Filipino lawmakers have now verified that currently there are no statutes prohibiting online casino gambling. This goes for both the actual online casinos themselves and the act of online gaming.

Online gambling is perfectly legal Current law in the Philippines is such that there is nothing in the statutes declaring online gambling illegal in any way, shape or form. This is according to Philippines national law. The importance of this legal clarification paves the way for greater understanding of the whole debate on online casino gambling.

Some want to change this However, there are opponents of online casino gaming like Representative Narciso Santiago. He is in favour of making amendments to the current legislation, such that online gambling would be declared illegal. Currently he has compiled a bill to that effect and the thrust of his proposal would make it illegal to use the Internet for placing or receiving wagers. And his bill would also declare it illegal for sending and receiving information abetting the placement of wagers in the Philippines.

Effectively this puts the onus on lawmakers to decide which way to go. At present it is illegal to prosecute people and online gaming companies for engaging in gambling activity. There is no law that is being contravened.

Loopholes in the new proposal Representative Santiago's proposal to outlaw gaming is inherently flawed in that it makes exceptions for horse racing and the national lottery. If it is the wellbeing of children that he is attempting to safeguard, then lawmakers suggest a blanket strategy outlawing all forms of gambling activity. But many folks on the ground are in favour of regulating the industry as opposed to outlawing gambling.